Approximately 71% of our planet is covered in water, but scientists still don’t know how it originated and why we have so much water.
This mystery not only engulfs our planet but also plays a crucial role in the search for life beyond Earth. By understanding how our planet can sustain life, we may gain insights into how other planets can potentially support life as well.
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Illustrative image: PA
Currently, researchers have made a new stride in answering these questions by debunking one of the prevalent explanations: that water comes from melted chondritic meteorites (Chondrites are the leftover parts of meteors that burn up partially and fall to Earth’s surface from space – Ed.). These melted chondrites are also known as achondrite meteorites. Scientists have analyzed achondrite meteorites that have been floating in space since the formation of the Solar System around 4.5 billion years ago. They found that these meteorites contain very little water and are excessively dry. In fact, they have less water than most other objects studied in space.
“We want to understand how our planet acquired water as this remains unclear,” said Professor Megan Newcombe, a geologist at the University of Maryland, who led the study.
“Obtaining water and having oceans on a small, relatively close-to-the-Sun planet is a challenge.”
In an effort to explain what happened, scientists examined seven recent samples of molten achondrite meteorites colliding with Earth. Measuring these objects proved difficult as they were altered by the water on Earth. Consequently, scientists had to remove the surface water and then dry them.
They found that these achondrites contain less than 0.000002 of their mass in water. This suggests that these meteorites lost almost all their water when they were heated and melted, no matter where they originated or how much water they had. This also implies that water could have arrived on Earth via non-melted chondritic meteorites or unmelted achondrites.
This discovery could help us understand how water is formed on other planets and aid in the search for life beyond Earth.
“Water is regarded as the essence of life. As we explore the universe and search for exoplanets, we begin to study exoplanets in planetary systems with potential for life. To understand other solar systems, we want to comprehend our own Solar System,” Professor Newcombe stated.